The Darkest Night
by Innocence10
Summary: It started many decades ago with my grandmother...but of course you don't know me. My name is Lisirra Willow and I...I have to save the pokemon world. OC X Gary Oak
1. Chapter 1

The inner chamber of the cave began emitting a low rumbling that eventually grew to a loud avalanche of noise and dust and confusion. Willow stepped forward with a cry of concern only to be stopped by a hand grasping her forearm, "Wait! You can't go in there Willow! The cave is about to collapse…do not let Myst's sacrifice be in vain."

The trainer turned towards the young man while angrily dashing away the tears that threatened to fall. Her blonde hair hung lankly to her forehead and she swiped it out of her face, "Oak! You don't know what it is like. That's my partner in there…my partner!"

Professor Oak, or as he was then known as Samuel, shook his head gently and pulled Willow into a rough embrace, "Don't I? Please do not forget that my partner is in there too." Willow looked stricken for a moment and then she colored with shame. She shook her head from side to side but returned the embrace none-the-less.

"I'm sorry. I-I…I just can't imagine where we went wrong. I shouldn't be out there. I shouldn't be letting Myst fight that… that thing by herself. We are a team!" Her hands trailed over her slim waist to where five other pokeballs hung against her belt. The shuddering of the cave grew more pronounced and then began to worsen. Both trainers fell to their knees from the aftershocks. Willow hissed in a breath and then looked at her hands which were now bleeding freely. The scarlet color of her blood was cut off by an advancing wall of smoke and cave dust as rocks from the entrance began to fall and shatter on the earth below.

Willow squinted her eyes to see through the dust even as she pressed a handkerchief to mouth to help her to better breathe. Through the chaos she could see brilliant flashes of light—blue, white, gold, scarlet, and the darkest black. The chaos around her was making her sort of daze out. The loud sounds grew to soft whispers and flashing colors that should have blinded her dimmed to muted glows. 'Why is it that I can see the black?' She mused, almost lost in a daydream, to herself. Then she understood…it wasn't that she could see it but that she could feel it. She could feel it writhing about in the cave-dark. She could sense it reaching dark, dark tendrils towards a muted blue glow that was slowly dimming. NO! She cried out, or thought she did at least. Her head was echoing with the cry and the muted glow of blue and the twisting black shadows…it was too much.

She closed her eyes tightly to try to shut away that awful feeling but felt herself growing weaker. "This…wasn't what was supposed to happen. I…I don't understand. Myst…." Willow trailed off and brought her hands to cover her face, hardly noticing as the blood from the cuts began to smear across her pale complexion. She drifted off into the darkness.

Then there was a bright blue-silver light surrounding her. She was remembering a time long ago...nearly forgotten. Myst and her were sitting by a small pool in the middle of a forest clearing. The winds were playful that day causing her hair to whip about in golden strands. They were having a conversation and then later Willow was dozing by the tree drifting in and out of consciousness as the sunlight made her warm, so warm. Startling awake at the harsh call of a Spearow she glanced around worriedly looking for Myst. Her beloved partner was sitting at the water's edge gazing into it but seeing not the bottom of the pool but something farther. Willow crouched towards her and then ran a hand over her friend's head, "What is it Little One? What is troubling you?" Her vaporeon looked at her with wise but tired eyes for a few moments but then shook herself and leapt into the water and playfully splashed her trainer, the wise old look of her eyes disappearing. _Soon you will know…but not yet….not this day_. The soft voice drifted into her mind and Willow sat back surprised. Had she just heard…? No…it wasn't possible.

Suddenly that bright sunlit clearing was dimming the darkness was ringing her daydream and it was disappearing, Willow held onto it…storing it away. She didn't know why but she felt it was important. The voice again was murmuring in her mind. _Willow…oh Willow_. Its voice was weakening and beginning to echo as if it took too much to strengthen the words. _I'm so sorry that I broke our promise._ Briefly Willow saw a clear night sky with thousands of shooting stars and half remembered a conversation with her partner. _I am glad to have met you; you taught me so much and I will always remember it. You must leave with Sam to safety… I cannot defeat him. He is too strong. I can only make him sleep…I have to leave you now. Remember, you are my trainer, my friend. Thank-you…and good-bye._

The voice was weakening even more…hardly more than a whisper, _Willow…Willow… remember_… "Willow! Willow! Wake up!" Willow closed her eyes tighter as another voice overrode the first. She was feeling herself being shaken, roughly…wildly. She opened her blue eyes and met those of her friend. Oak roughly hauled her to her feet and then they were stumbling…weaving through a cave in. Hundreds of Pokémon ran with them to the beckoning light. Willow was gazing sightlessly ahead moving only when Sam's strong hand was guiding her.

She murmured quietly, "Oak… I heard voices…" Oak glanced at his friend, her eyes vacant, her face stained with blood. He pulled her closer and they continued their run through the cave. He kept glancing at her fearfully. A loud rage-filled cry echoed about them causing fear to flare to life. Then there was a muted crash and then….silence.

Samuel pulled Willow out into the cool night and pulled her over to a tree. Getting a blanket out of his pack he wrapped her up, always one to remain cool in a situation…even though his partner_—'No I mustn't think of it…Willow needs me.'_ He thought to himself. He went to a nearby stream and got a rag wet and then carefully approached Willow and began to wash her face clean. "Willow…can you hear me? We have to be moving soon… the aftershocks are still dangerous."

Willow blinked once and then suddenly her eyes focused and she was stumbling away from him and towards the cave, "Willow!" He called angrily and worriedly and then his voice was quieted for out of the broken mouth and over the rubble came a battle-worn Growlithe and in front of it being pushed gently by its nose and paws was rolling a brilliant snowy white egg with one marking only on it…a tear drop of the darkest blue gray. Oak approached the Pokémon and then cried out with joy before rushing forward and bringing it into a quick embrace.

It trilled quietly before it fainted and Samuel quickly returned it in the familiar flash of white and red. Samuel Oak glanced at his friend to see her cradling the egg to her chest her tears freely flowing now. He wiped his own eyes as he turned away to give her privacy and it was then that he heard her gasp.

He whirled about ready to console her and was surprised to see her lifting up the shard of the water stone, the one that had evolved Myst into a vaporeon, that had fallen off of the pure white egg. He glanced at her in surprise and saw that she was now laughing even as she cried. A voice drifted across the borders of space and time… _It is not over, dear Willow. You must remember the story of us. Oak, take care of her and of dear Growlithe…truer friends you will find._

Willow glanced up her eyes sparkling with tears, "Did you hear that?" Samuel Oak nodded. Already his mind was spinning with what he had learned. Truly the bonds between Pokémon and trainer were very strong. He had no idea at the time that his past would so strongly affect his future as a Pokémon professor. She smiled once in relief and then cradled the egg in her arms as she slipped the blue water stone into her silver tear drop necklace. The stone fit perfectly…almost as if it were made to be there.

Oak ran to catch up with his friend and glanced at her as she grabbed her pack and slung it on her shoulder. She seemed much more composed even though the tears continued to fall. He rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "What is it that you plan to do now?"

She looked at him surprised and then murmured quietly to her friend one simple word, "Remember."


	2. Chapter 2

Alone in the Night 

"The little Abra having no one else to turn to then went off on his own adventure. His mother, a lovely Kadabra, had told him that sometimes in the winter the snow just wouldn't come. He would have to wait until next year. Abra didn't think he could though and he thought hard and long for an idea to get his winter wonderland. Finally he came up with an idea. He was sure if he could just talk with the beautiful snowy Articuno he could convince it to allow it to snow again. So he set off on his journey with his friend. Do you remember who that friend was?" The old woman looked down at the child at her feet smiling. The little girl was bouncing up and down her blonde pig-tails flopping with each excited bounce. Her small hands were twined in the fur of a sleeping Vulpix and she would caress the creature every now and again.

Her blue-gray eyes brightened as she called out the answer excitedly, "It was a Pidgey!" The grandmother nodded and watched her carefully as the child settled down by lying on the soft comforter and placing her head on the waiting pillow. She pulled the small fox Pokémon closer to her and then placed a hand on her soft flank. She yawned and her eyes were starting to droop. The woman smiled and shook her head slightly at the way children can do an abrupt 180 by being hyper one moment and the next on the verge of sleeping.

She nodded once again and tousled the little girl's hair for a moment before sitting back in her rocking chair. The fireplace was crackling merrily and the woman paused for a moment looking and the sparking flashes of red and orange. She continued softly, "That's right. It was a Pidgey and so after the little Abra had convinced his friend to go see Articuno they set off. Of course they left a note for their parents so they wouldn't worry and then while they were on the trip…" She trailed off as she saw the little girl was fast asleep. The old woman grinned at the sight of the child and the Vulpix sleeping peacefully and then she slowly leveled herself up with a couple of groans.

Walking to the kitchen she spoke to the two adults who had been sitting there, "Well, she is asleep now. If you two want to go home you can leave her here. I haven't seen Lisirra in such a long time." She added while glancing pointedly at her dark-haired son who had her blue-gray eyes. He flashed a smile and gave his mother a hug.

"Ah, well… you know how it goes."

"I suppose I do."

"You love us anyway."

"I suppose I do."

The conversation was always the same and the two smiled at each other before sitting down. The grandmother reached across the table to lay a gentle hand on her daughter-in-law, Angela. "How are things going all the way Pallet Town? Is the professor still bugging you about your findings on Spearow flocking?"

Angela laughed even as her husband, Ray, sighed exasperatedly, "I swear Mother, Professor Oak is just as annoying as you can be when he is in researcher mode." He was silent for a moment before he spoke again mischievously, "Perhaps it is his age."

The older woman laughed quietly, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Poisoning cookies to get rid of pesky sons these days just takes too long." The man glanced quickly at the tray where a couple of cookies sat innocently. Angela laughed again. "Oh you, don't be silly. Why would I poison my only son? Then I would definitely not see my Granddaughter."

Ray smiled but then playfully glared at her, "Oh, but you would. You are very sneaky mother dearest. You have of course recalled that you are supposed to be watching my child if anything should happen to me and my wife." The old woman glared at her son.

"Hush now. Don't you dare talk like that even in jest." The son shrugged good-naturedly.

"I didn't mean anything mother, I was only kidding."

A small voice broke through the adults' conversation, "Grandma?"

The woman turned quickly around, "Yes, Little One?" Lisirra rubbed her eyes and then glanced near the stove where several eggs were warming. Her grandmother was working on breeding and egg research at the moment and the little girl was simply fascinated. "May I turn the eggs?"

Ray smiled but looked at his watch, "Sorry Lis Dear, we have to be going now. Old grandmas shouldn't be staying up so late." Again the grandmother glared at her son even as she got up and trod on his foot. At his small exclamation of pain she spoke.

"Oops…guess in my _old _age I couldn't see where I was going. I should get some glasses." She smiled and then walked to the little girl and putting a hand on her shoulder walked over to where the eggs were sitting. "Sure, you can turn the eggs Lissy. Just be careful okay?"

Lisirra nodded sagely with wide blue eyes. Then she carefully touched each egg and turned it. She spoke under her breath as she did so, "A blue one, a brown one, a pretty white one, a green-spotted one, a red one, and finally a tiny little gray one!" She patted each egg carefully but her hand rested on the white egg for a fraction longer than all the others. She tugged on her grandmother's hand, "Hey, grandma? Do you know what Pokémon is in what egg?"

The grandmother smiled, "No, I don't. Maybe the little babies want it to be a surprise!"

Lisirra looked back at the eggs doubtfully, "Maybe."

The father stood up and again looked at his watch, scooping up his little girl he placed a light kiss on her cheek and then set her back down. Going to the coat closet he grabbed their belongings and then knelt down and began to dress his daughter in her coat, gloves, and boots.

Then he stood back up and helped his wife into her own coat. Ray smiled at his daughter and then spoke quietly, "How about you give your grandma a big hug and tell her we'll see her soon." He sent his mother a triumphant look. The little girl quickly obeyed, running to her grandmother and giving her a big hug.

Lisirra started a little when her grandma's silver pendent pressed against her cheek but reached up and gave her a kiss. Then she whirled about and ran into her father's waiting arms. The grandmother stood up and smiled at Lisirra and then looked at Ray and Angela. "How will you three be getting home?"

Ray shrugged, "Well we'll probably take a taxi home once we get near Pallet. Before that, well we'll fly of course." Ray and Angela had both been serious trainers in their youth and had amassed quite a collection of teams.

The grandmother nodded, "You be careful… there is a lot of hooligans out and about on Christmas Eve. A lot of drunks too…" she added on as a troubled look crossed her face, "Are you sure you don't want to stay here the night? It's really no trouble."

Ray laughed and hugged his little family to him, "We'll be fine mother and we'll see you bright and early tomorrow after Santa and his Stantlers have stopped by of course." Lisirra in his arms gasped in child-like delight. The old woman walked her little family to the door and saw them out.

"You be careful now! I love you all." She called as they disappeared into the night.

Lisirra called back, "Good night Grandma Willow. We'll see you tomorrow!"

Willow closed the door and sank back against it as her mind flashed to when Lis had left her hand a fraction longer on the pure white egg. She brought a shaking hand up to her throat and touched the silver-blue pendent that hung there. Was something going to happen or was she just an old woman with old fears resurfacing? She sighed as the flood of questions entered her mind and then continued through the kitchen into her room where she dozed fitfully the whole night.


End file.
